Hybrid class
Hybrid classes are classes which carry elements of the three core types: tank, healer, or dps. Realistically, no character can tank, heal, and nuke at the same time, but hybrids are frequently flexible enough to serve in one role or another (no matter what spec they have), if they've collected the gear required to serve that function. There are different views on how many possible functions are needed to consider a class a "hybrid". The most limited definition here would be any class that has three or more different possible functions they can be good at, given the correct talent spec and/or gear. This definition would only consider Paladins, Shamans, and Druids as hybrids. Some consider hyrbids to be any class that has two or more functions that they can spec for – their "token group role" (healer, tank, or dps) and a side role, usually taken as helpful in soloing or in PvP. If the definition is widened in this manner, Warriors and Priests are added to the list of hybrids, as well as Hunters and Warlocks using their pets or themselves as an Off Tank. World of Warcraft has several hybrid classes, as listed below. = 3-way/4-way hybrids = These three classes are considered the truest "hybrids", as each of them can cover the three roles of tanking, damage, and healing. Shamans are able to tank some instances, though it is rarely seen. In addition, Shamans and Druids have both ranged and short-distance DPS specializations. Druid The Druid is a hybrid of tank, healer, melee DPS, and nuker. ;Advantages * Good, Great or Excellent healing abilities, depending on spec and gear. Feral druids inherently have an expanded mana pool but no mana regeneration enhancements. Balance druids have an expanded mana pool enhancements to both damage and healing, but less mana regeneration than a restoration druid. * A powerful buffs in the game make for more effective parties Mark of the Wild. * Shapeshift ability allows druid to serve as a tank (Bear/Dire Bear form) and increases survivability if drawing aggro by accident, can scout (Cat form), and will render a druid immune to Polymorph. The act of shifting will also remove any host of Root and Snare effects from the character. * Tree of Life Form likely has the most mana efficient heals in the game, and is specifically geared to raid healing. * Tank abilities viable for raids, optimal for single targets; sub-optimal for a very large number of targets. * High-level talents in each tree provide a raid healing or DPS aura. * Rebirth is the only resurrect which can be cast in combat. ;Disadvantages * Lightly armored in caster gear, just a little tougher than a cloth wearer in humanoid form. However, Barkskin combined with Dire Bear Form or Moonkin Form may provide enough damage mitigation (and time) for a main tank to re-acquire a mob. If you are in PvP combat, this same switch will often cause (especially mele dps) players to switch targets out of frustration with the greatly increased armor and hit points. * Rebirth, a combat resurrect, is on a 20 minute timer. * Druids lack traditional Crowd control relying on Entangling Roots, a spell which only works in outdoor instances, Hibernate, which is only castable on beasts and dragonkin, and Cyclone, which is only useful in PvP and as a temporary fix when another class's crowd control breaks. * Moonkin form is very mana-ineffecent Paladin The Paladin is incorrectly thought of as a hybrid of warrior and priest. Paladin tanks mainly rely on reactive Holy damage as the primary source of threat, secondly on direct holy damage, and functions by the threat "multipliers" of Righteous Fury and Holy Shield rather than added threat effects like Sundered Armor. A Paladin heals by spamming efficient direct heals, and not by using DoTs or group heals. ;Advantages * Armored in plate, paladins can take a lot of damage, and are widely regarded as the single hardest class to kill. * Ability to heal and resurrect makes them sometimes vital to a party. * Long-lasting, efficient single-target healers. * Wide variety of important buffs for all classes. * Several auras with various beneficial effects for the party. * One of 3 classes capable of allowing quick recovery from a wipe with their Divine Intervention (the other being Warlocks and Shaman). * Able to Divine Protection and Divine Shield to protect them from incoming damage or cast Blessing of Protection to protect other players from physical damage. ;Disadvantages * Very little in the way of ranged attacks. * Have relatively few protection against casters. Shaman The Shaman is a hybrid of healer, melee DPSer and nuker, with limited tank ability. ;Advantages * Versatile regardless of build - able to switch tank/heal/dps roles in battle, and not just through spec * A wide variety of totems can be used to buff party members and debuff opponents * Ability to heal and resurrect makes them very useful to a party. * Powerful, instant-cast direct damage Shock spells with secondary effects (slow, damage over time, and interruption of spellcasting) * Only class capable of solo-recovering a raid via Reincarnation, albeit only once per hour. * Best multi heal spell in the game, Chain Heal ;Disadvantages * Cannot generally tank past regular 5-man dungeons past Pre-BC. * Jack-of-all-trades, but frequently overshadowed by other classes in "pure" roles. * Stationary totems that can only affect party members, not a raid.No direct buffs. * Not as Mana efficient as non hybrids. * No CC spells(like Polymorph,Fear,Howl of Terror etc.) * lack of deagro abilities can make it difficult for tank to regain agro if shaman angers opponent in PVE = Traditional and off-spec hybrids = Two classes, Warrior and Priest, presently have a traditional main role and spec as well as an "off-spec" that is considered viable for endgame. Priest The Priest is a mixture of a healing and DPS class with buffs as well. ;Advantages * Considered an overall healing class, the priest is a good healer for just about any situation. *Shadow priests provide great single-target DPS, as well as healing with the Vampiric Embrace talent, mana recovery with Vampiric Touch, and talents that increase shadow and magic damage taken by targets. *A wide variety of utility and defensive spells, including Mana Burn, Mind Control, Power Word: Shield, help party survivability and effectiveness. *Several escape and aggro lowering abilities, Psychic Scream, Fade, though psychic scream is not very useful in instances. ;Disadvantages *Cloth armor and no pets leave priests more easily damaged than other hybrid classes, though they do have defensive abilities such as Inner Fire. *In shadowform(nessesary for priest to reach their true DPS potential), has no healing aside from Vampiric Embrace = Pet tank & Special tank classes = The Hunter and Warlock classes are considered to have secondary tanking abilities through pets, especially with the correct talents. Warlocks are also themselves required to tank in some encounters including Illidan Stormrage. Hunter The Hunter is a DPS class with pet tanking abilities and strong pulling. ;Advantages * The premiere puller class through Misdirection, speed, kiting and Feign Death. * Good DPS usable at range, the only ranged class that deals high physical damage. * Can effectively continue to DPS even when low on mana, and can regain mana quickly at higher levels. * Have the best threat reduction ability in the game: Feign Death, which allows hunters to give out all their full damage potential without the risk of pulling aggro. * Skilled hunters can provide good crowd controlling with Freezing Trap, which can be used for most types of mob. * Can wear mail, which provide fair amount of damage reduction to physical damage. * Pets usually serve as substitute tanks, and are fairly easy to replace. When properly specced, pets can be a menace to casters in PvP. * Have high-level talents in each tree to improve party member's DPS. * Very capable of kiting, due to multiple snares. * Various methods of scouting, including Tracking, Eyes of the Beast, and Eagle Eye. Hunters can also run very fast with Aspect of the Cheetah. ;Disadvantages * Pet survivability maybe low in end-game raid instances. * Much weaker in melee combat compared to ranged, although has several methods of returning to ranged combat. * Require more skill of the players to trap with Freezing Trap than other classes' CC. * Chain-trapping, kiting are some of the more difficult maneuvers in the game that many casual players can never perform properly. * Handling both the ranged hunter and the melee pet at the same time can be quite a challenge during encounters that need everyone to move a lot! Warlock The Warlock is a DPS class with tank, extra DPS and CC abilities via pet. ;Advantages * Pets add to the firepower of the party and can potentially serve as a tank or offtank; variety of pets can fill roles vs. caster/melee/humanoid mobs. * Can switch pets during a run at the cost of shard(s) if one particular pet is especially needed for a specific encounter. * DoT spells are ideal against opponents that like to run away when heavily damaged and for steady damage in boss fights where burst damage can get you killed. * Can make a Soulstone which will allow one party member to self-res for 30 minutes. Good to put on primary healer so they can res the group after a wipe. * A Master Demonologist Warlock using the Voidwalker with Soul Link has roughly 50% damage mitigation. ;Disadvantages * High level pets (Infernal and Doomguard) can be dangerous resulting in them have at best limited situational usefulness. = Not a Lot of Hybrid Classes = Rob Pardo said it was their goal to not have a lot of hybrid classes. Because of this, the Death knight and Necromancer classes, which were originally slated for, got the axe early on. The death knight will be introduced in the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. Category:Gameplay